Women’s Panel – Life Beyond

The focus of the panel is ‘Life Beyond’ — a conversation about what happens when you move beyond the big job.

We’ll explore what happens when a job that has been a big part of our identity is no longer there — how we work out what we want next, what we might need to let go of, and how we recognise when something isn’t quite right. We’ll also talk about changing direction, redefining success and what a fulfilling life can look like when work is no longer the whole story.

The panel will be made up of three women who have taken very different paths beyond significant leadership roles:

• Nicole Manison, former Deputy Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, who has moved into the corporate world;
• Jodie Ryan, former CEO of the Department of Chief Minister and Cabinet, who has moved into business and consultancy; and
• Michaela Nutt, who moved into Arts Queensland in Cairns, discovered it wasn’t the right fit, and made the decision to return to the Territory and pursue work that was more closely aligned with her values and what she wanted from this stage of her life.

We’ll talk about the reality of transition — the uncertainty, the identity shift, the unexpected bumps, the things that don’t go to plan and the process of working out what you want next.

We’ll explore what happens when a job that has been a big part of your identity is no longer there — how you work out what you want next, what you might need to let go of, and how you recognise when something isn’t quite right. We’ll also talk about changing direction, redefining success and what a fulfilling life can look like when work is no longer the whole story.

Life Beyond is about career, but it’s also about identity, choices, ambition, values and the different chapters of our lives.